20 Bucket List Experiences in Barcelona

20 Bucket List Experiences in Barcelona

You’ve made it to Spain and it’s time to start ticking off those bucket list items one by one. If you’ve yet to make your own list then you can make use of the following twenty to get your journey started.

As always in Barcelona: wear your comfy walking shoes, always carry at least a little cash, always remember which direction the beach is in, and be aware of pickpockets!

Let’s begin…

1. View Gaudi’s Architecture in Barcelona

Seeing the work of Antoni Gaudi in real life is motivation for a lot of the trips that are made to Barcelona. His buildings stand proudly around the city center, all of them open for public viewing seven days a week.

Some that you shouldn’t miss include the Casa Mila, Park Güell, Güell Palace, Gaudi’s crypt and my personal favorite, the breathtaking Casa Batlló.

Most of Gaudi’s works will be passed without much intention while exploring the streets on a guided walking tour or as you make your way between other sights.

Casa Batlló – by Duncan Kidd – Unsplash

2. Stand Inside of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

This one relates to our first bucket list item, but it gets an entry of its own due to the importance of this site in Barcelona.

The Sagrada Familia was the church Gaudi never got to finish. It is still under construction in the city center, and is one of the most impressive pieces of architecture you’ll see in Europe.

Viewing the church from both the outside and inside are worthwhile experiences when visiting this city. You’ll have to pay an entrance fee of €20 to go inside and see how he created the interior.

by Toa Heftiba – Unsplash

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday – 9am to 8pm

Address: Carrer de Mallorca, 401, 08013 Barcelona, Spain

Metro STATION: Sagrada Familia

3. Watch Barcelona Football Team Play in Barcelona

The Spanish take their football very, very seriously. The Barcelona football team are one of the top performing teams in the world, and football fans hold seeing them play live while in Barcelona as an important item on one’s bucket list.

Barcelona FC play at their home turf of Camp Nou. This stadium is situated in the far west of the city and is the largest football stadium in Europe, with a seating capacity of close to 100,000 people. It is also one of the largest stadiums in the world.

Of course this experience is relative to season and depends on events and ticket availability at your time of arrival.

Camp Nou – by Camp Nou – Uploaded by them

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Opening Hours: As Scheduled

Address: C. d’Arístides Maillol, 12, 08028 Barcelona, Spain

Metro STATION: Palau Reial

4. Eat Paella in Barcelona

You’ll do a lot of this without me having to tell you to, but it deserves a place on all Barcelona bucket lists regardless.

Paella is a native dish to Spain and an important part of the culture and cuisine of the land. Across Barcelona you’ll encounter restaurant after restaurant all fighting to make their paella better than the next.

I’ve found that the port of Barceloneta’s restaurants tend to make the most impressive paella in town… but you can try for yourself and be the judge.

by Kaitlin Dowis – Unsplash

5. Walk Through the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona

The Gothic Quarter is regarded as the most charming neighborhood in Barcelona. It’s made up of medieval streets and old architecture, amongst them are trendy bars and authentic Catalan eateries.

The Gothic Quarter is the start of Barcelona’s old town. It is best explored by foot, you’ll see this in the free guided walking tours that move through the streets through the day.

by Brandon Gurney – Unsplash

6. Visit the Boqueria Market in Barcelona

The Boqueria Market is the heart and soul of Barcelona locals. It’s been part of this city for centuries, and now runs six days a week year round.

The market is where you’ll buy fresh produce, meats, fish and seasoning. There is also a famous cafe in the center where you can try authentic Catalan foods, as well as a few other tapas stands where you can grab small plates.

Boqueria Market – by Arz – Wikimedia Commons

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PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday – 8:30am to 8:30pm

Address: La Rambla, 91, 08001 Barcelona, Spain

Metro STATION: Liceu

7. Explore the Picasso Museum in Barcelona

There are many Picasso Museums in Europe, and Barcelona’s is amongst the most impressive of them all. It holds over four thousand original works by the artist, including process pieces.

The building itself is beautiful to walk through; it’s an old medieval space that survived the history of el Raval and the Gothic Quarter. It’s €12 for access to the entire museum.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday – 9am to 8:30pm

Address: Carrer Montcada, 15-23, 08003 Barcelona, Spain

Metro STATION: Jaume I

8. Enjoy the Sunset From a Rooftop Bar in Barcelona

Barcelona is a city of rooftops. They hold bars and restaurants that overlook the city in panoramic scapes, and they are the hotspots when the sun starts to go down.

Sipping on a cocktail or glass of Spanish wine to celebrate the end of the day is a daily ritual in Barcelona. There are rooftops throughout the city but the neighborhoods that are best for this would be el Born, Poble Sec and el Raval.

Terraza Ayre – by Ayre Rosellón Hotel – Uploaded by them

9. Dine on Tapas in Barcelona

Another thing you’ll do in abundance without actually trying very hard. Tapas are the traditional way that the Spanish serve their food. They are small plates of delicious dishes that are ideally shared between groups of people in a very communal way.

Virtually all of the world’s cuisines are available through the streets of Barcelona in some way, shape or form. Tapas exist between them. Prepare to eat your way through this city in the best possible ways.

10. Picnic in the Parc de la Ciutadella in Barcelona

The Parc de la Ciutadella was one of the first green spaces in Barcelona. It sits just about the Gothic Quarter, and runs from inner city through to the ocean side.

The park is beautiful for a walk, a jog or a full blown picnic under the sun. It’s an important attraction to the locals of Barcelona, who frequent it as much as the tourists do. A diverse mix of people are always spotted here.

Parc de la Ciutadella – by Bernard Gagnon – Wikimedia Commons

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Opening Hours: 24 Hours

Address: Passeig de Picasso, 21, 08003 Barcelona, Spain

Metro STATION: Arc de Triomf

11. Have a Beach Day in Barcelona

Take full advantage of this one! Barcelona didn’t have any beaches up until 1992 when the Olympic Games were held here.

The coastline is called Barceloneta and is divided up into four main beach stretches. If I didn’t tell you that they were manmade you’d likely never have known. Tons of sand was flown in from Egypt to construct these expansive shores.

There is more to do on Barcelona’s beaches than just swim and tan. Click here for a detailed list.

by Fæ – Wikimedia Commons

12. Find the Oldest Bar in the City in Barcelona

The Bar Marsella is the oldest bar in Barcelona. It was frequented by the likes of Picasso and Hemingway back when they used to vacation in Spain.

Today it is the only spot in Barcelona where one can purchase absinthe, and it gets packed out each evening by excited travelers who want to sip the drinks the great artists once did. It’s in the side streets of el Raval.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday – 6pm to 2am

Address: Carrer de Sant Pau, 65, 08001 Barcelona, Spain

Metro STATION: Liceu

13. Photograph the Arc de Triomf in Barcelona

Barcelona has an Arc de Triomf that sits on the western entrance to the Parc de la Ciutadella. It’s an iconic part of the city’s architecture and marks a central marker for this side of town.

It was created by Josep Vilaseca i Casanovas, who was an important contributor to Barcelona’s architecture. It marked the entrance of the Barcelona World Fair in 1888. Snapping a photograph in front of the arc makes for a great momento of your time in the city.

Arc de Triomf – by Bene Riobó – Wikimedia Commons

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Opening Hours: 24 Hours

Address: Passeig de Lluís Companys, 08003 Barcelona, Spain

Metro STATION: Arc de Triomf

14. Get to the Summit of Montjuic in Barcelona

The Montjuic Mountain is the highest point in Barcelona. It overlooks the entire city bowl through to the ocean.

Everyone should make their way up here at least once during their trip. It can be reached by cable car from Barceloneta’s beaches, or via car. There are also hiking paths available that you can venture up.

There is a castle at the top of Montjuic that is open to the public as a museum.

Montjuic – by Ronny Siegel – Wikimedia Commons

15. Spend a Day at Tibidabo Theme Park in Barcelona

The Tibidabo Theme Park is a major attraction for the city of Barcelona. It sits in the hills of the west, just past the town-district of Gracia, and it overlooks the city below.

You’ll ride the giant ferris wheel from high up in the sky looking at the Spanish city down below. It’s fun for the whole family; one of the best outings to take children to for a full day out.

Note that there are also some wonderful luxury hotels on the summits of these hills as well.

Tibidabo Theme Park – by Tibidabo Theme Park – Uploaded by them

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday – 11am to 11pm

Address: Plaça del Tibidabo, 3, 4, 08035 Barcelona, Spain

16. Day Trip to Montserrat near Barcelona

Montserrat is the mountainous range near to Barcelona that travelers love to day trip to to get away from the city. The mountains are filled with hiking trails and throw you right into the thick of the Spanish natural reserves.

Montserrat can be reached by train from Barcelona’s city center. Take the R5 train to the Aeri de Montserrat stop. The journey will take about an hour and a half in total. You’ll have to catch a cable car up to the range after you arrive by train. 

Montserrat – by Aldis Dzenovskis – Wikimedia Commons

17. Watch the Fountain Show Outside the National Museum of Art Cataluyna in Barcelona

The National Museum is definitely worth a visit if you can spare a few hours during your trip. If not, then simply make time for the fountain show that takes place in the outside pavilion just in front of the museum entrance.

The fountain preforms with lights and music, and is free for the public to enjoy. You can check scheduled performance times for the week on the museum website. Get there early as it gets extremely crowded.

National Museum of Art Cataluyna – by Filip Maljković – Wikimedia Commons

18. Try Traditional Catalan Cuisine in Barcelona

Not too many people are aware that Spain is divided up into many different provinces and that each of them have their own take on Spanish cuisine. This occurred because prior to Spain being Spain, each of these provinces were actually individual countries in Europe.

Barcelona is the best place in Catalonia to experience the cuisine at its best. There are Catalan eateries all over the city.

19. Experience the Nightlife of el Born in Barcelona

El Born is the nightlife hub of Barcelona. It’s the neighborhood underneath the Gothic Quarter and it is comprised of budget bars, jazz clubs, Spanish gin lounges and live music venues.

Nightlife venues in Barcelona can stay open though until 6am if they so desire. You’ll notice that evenings in Barcelona start late, with dinner reservations commencing around 9pm and bars only filling up after midnight.

20. Attend Primavera Sound Music Festival in Barcelona

Spain holds two of the biggest music festivals in the world annually. The first is Mad Cool, and takes place in the capital city of Madrid. The second, and most iconic, is Primavera Sound.

It’s held every year in Barcelona over a weekend in June and brings the biggest bands in the world into the city. The event brings in thousands of travelers and the city is buzzing from morning until night. It’s a once in a life time experience in Barcelona.

Primavera Sound – by Jwslubbock – Wikimedia Commons